'Doctor Strange' Villains are Multidimensional Magic Junkies

Magic is central to Doctor Strange’s corner of the Marvel universe — it’s so important, in fact, that Strange’s enemies in the upcoming film are literal magic addicts hell bent on getting their fix, even if they destroy the universe in the process.

While a significant amount of attention has been given to Doctor Strange’s supporting characters like Baron Mordo and the Ancient One, the villains remained something of a mystery. A new featurette released today finally sheds some light on the motivations behind Mads Mikkelsen’s magical villain, Kaecillius.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explained that the villains in the film belong to a group that has become “seduced” by the magic in this new, spiritual dimension. Their goal then becomes to keep this magical power alive even if it means destroying the human universe in the process.

In the comics, Kaecillius was one of Baron Mordo’s henchmen; Mordo is played in the film by Chiwetel Ejiofor. However, since Mordo’s character has been rewritten as something of an ally in Doctor Strange, Kaecillius has been promoted to the film’s main villain. There are even rumors that Kaecillius might come to possess the powers of Dormammu, an ancient, evil demigod.

What’s become readily apparent with Doctor Strange is that the film will introduce an entire spiritual, mystical dimension in the Marvel Universe. Just as Guardians of the Galaxy took the Marvel films far beyond the outer limits of space, the new magical dimension is looking to become a prominent part of the Marvel Universe. It appears that Marvel is eager to use Doctor Strange as a shotgun blast of magic, introducing viewers to this whole new aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe all in one go.